Sewage Plant Vote Angers Residents Near Old Facility

May 9, 1985|By Jon Caroulis, Staff Writer

TAMARAC — Two weeks after City Council members drew applause for promising not to put a sewage treatment plant on Land Section 7, they were denounced Wednesday by a different crowd for keeping that promise.

Angry residents who live near the city`s treatment plant on Northwest 61st Street said the council reneged on a promise to move the facility and claimed they were not given a chance to speak.

``You never listen to us, it`s just the three of you, the holy trinity,`` one woman said.

She was referring to Mayor Philip Kravitz, Vice Mayor Helen Massaro and Council member Arthur Gottesman, who voted to accept an agreement with the owner of Land Section 7 that prevents a treatment plant from ever being built there.

Land Section 7 is located in the northwest section of the city, bounded on the south by Commercial Boulevard, on the east by Nob Hill Road, on the west by Hiatus Road, and on the north by a proposed canal that will be about a half mile from McNab Road.

The Land Section 7 agreement settled a city condemnation suit to obtain the property. The city plans to build a deep well injection system at the site.

``We weren`t given a chance to speak, we`re going to write to the governor,`` said Ronnie Goldgell, another resident who lives near the plant.

Izzy Teller, who said he lives in Concord Village about 2,000 yards from the city`s sewage treatment plant, said prior administrations had promised to move the plant.

The previous City Council had considered either moving or building a new plant at Land Section 7 adjacent to the deep well plant.

Kravitz said a public hearing on the matter -- when residents can speak on council items -- was held April 24, when most residents who attended wanted the facility banned from Land Section 7.

At that meeting, a settlement was delayed to clear up some language in the contract. The city will pay Leadership Housing about $1 million for 45 acres.

Kravtiz said residents opposed to the plan should have been at the April 24 meeting.

``People can go crazy. We hear one attitude one week and another attitude another week, but we did have a public hearing on this,`` Kravitz said.

The council Wednesday also approved an $8,000 expenditure plant workers hope will eliminate all odors emanating from the sewage plant, which currently stops between 98 and 99 percent of all smells from escaping.

In other business, the council decided against holding a referendum to see if residents want a hotel and office complex built on a portion of the Sabal Palm Golf Course.

Oxford Development had hoped to build such a complex but was denied the necessary council approval. The company has since decided not to pursue those plans.